Mercedes hit out at Ferrari

Mercedes Executive Director Technical Paddy Lowe has hit out at calls from Ferrari to change the new Formula One regulations.

Ferrari have been very vocal about their dislike for the new era of Formula One.

Ahead of the season opener in Australia, Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo said ?I do not like this sort of taxi-cab driving,?

He was of course referring to the new fuel regulations in Formula One, introduced following the change in engine regulations for this season.

Formula One dumped the old 2.4-litre naturally aspirated V8-engine’s at the end of last season and introduced the new 1.6-litre turbo-charged V6 engines over the winter.

Part of the new power-trains are the Energy Recovery Systems, pushing technology and development into a cleaner era of F1.

Another part of the new generation of Formula One regulations is to also push technology in terms of fuel saving measures, fuel is limited to 100kg per race, whilst fuel flow must not exceed 100kg/h.

It’s something that the manufacturers wanted, even Ferrari pushed for a switch to V6 engines over the previous proposals.

Due to their power and influence in the sport they got what they wanted, but now they have arrived and are struggling to be competitive, they have complained.

Montezemolo said as he arrived in Bahrain: ‘My position is clear, since a few months ago when I said that the risk of the new rules is to have drivers who have to save tyres, save fuel – this is not Formula 1,’

Montezemolo had travelled to Bahrain to take part in talks with Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone and the FIA President Jean Todt.

All the talk ahead of the race was of the possibility of a push to change the new Formula One regulations.

Montezemolo adding: ‘Ferrari has, with the rules of today, to be more competitive, try and push and be more competitive. It’s not a question to change the rules now, but for the future it’s a different story.’

Speculations suggested that Ferrari wanted the cars to carry more fuel so that they didn’t have to run through energy saving and fuel saving modes during a Grand Prix or to shorten the races so that fuel was less of an issue.

Something that Mercedes have now hit out at.

‘There were things being talked about in the last weeks and days that were just completely unrealistic, The first suggestion was we need 110 kilograms [of fuel]. Has anyone realised you couldn’t fit 110 kilograms into these cars? Ah, oh dear! Lowe joked to Sky Sports.

‘Then there was talk of making the races shorter. Can you imagine selling that concept to the public? It would be like saying ‘we’ve decided people aren’t fit enough these days and marathons are only going to be 25 miles, not 26’. The messaging around that cannot be contemplated.

‘So I hope all of that, and this ridiculous talk of fuel saving, can be put behind us. In Bahrain the guys were racing from beginning to end, and it was a completely normal level of fuel saving.’

Unfortunately Montezemolo didn’t stay around to watch the entire race in Bahrain and left as soon as it became apparent that it was going to be another uncompetitive race for Ferrari.

If he had stuck around he would have witnessed one of the best Grand Prix for many a year, with wheel-to-wheel action throughout the grid.

It certainly didn’t look like taxi driving to the millions of spectators around the world.